Writing in the New Year

Whenever the clock strikes midnight and the joyous shouts of HAPPY NEW YEAR ring out, we start over. We renew our energy and vigor for another year, only to fall back into our same patterns days, weeks, months later. Sure, we all talk about going to the gym more, eating better, trying to be a better person, or finding our direction in life. How do we strive to attain our goals in 2017 without losing momentum?

This year, I’ve decided to focus more on my writing. Instead of being down and discouraged, I want to follow up on the ideas I’ve shelved. At one point in my life, I dreamed of being a musical therapist. I also briefly entertained being an eye doctor. I finally settled on marine biology and environmental science, something close to my heart and the field I inevitably went to get my degree in. Through the course of my life, I continued to write. Novel ideas piled up, short stories burst to life, and I finished my first full length new adult when I was sixteen.

I’ve been writing since third grade yet it took me until my late twenties to discover, definitely a surprise, that I wanted to make my passion into a career. I decided to switch fields entirely. From science to romance. Wow.

It was a struggle to find my path, especially considering my generation’s penchant for instant gratification. Building a career from scratch takes hard work and dedication. There is no such thing as overnight success. It also takes an understanding of your life, your past, and everything that has built until now. Writing can be challenging on the best of days. Writer’s need to get over their own insecurities and dig deep to get to the story.

Everyone knows how hard it is to “get out there.” For writers we bank on our image. We sell ourselves and bare our soul to the world. Whether or not it’s worthwhile is a personal decision, but it definitely puts life into perspective. Writing can’t just be about getting reviews or monthly checks (both of which I’m still waiting for). It comes from the heart, an external reflection of internal emotions.

This year should be about reflection, I feel. Finding inspiration in the every day instead of fighting to make a huge change at once. Start each day fresh. Be courageous, unafraid to take risks or to fail. So what if the diet doesn’t take right away? Or if you miss a few weeks at the gym?